


The First One to See

by The3rdTrumpeteer



Series: Refuge and Remedies [8]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Angst, Gen, but we already knew that, crutchie is in the refuge, jack's a little bitch, specs is the ultimate mom friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 06:44:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14847747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The3rdTrumpeteer/pseuds/The3rdTrumpeteer
Summary: "Specs brought me a note from Crutchie at the Refuge."-Specs was the first one to realize that Crutchie might not be safe. He was the first one to see him at the Refuge, beaten but still so full of hope.Where was Jack? Better yet, why hadn't he already come to see Crutchie?





	The First One to See

**Author's Note:**

> We know Jack is probably the only one to see Crutchie get arrested, so why does he wait until after Specs brings him a note to actually go see him?

Jack isn’t here. That’s the first thing Specs notices when he barrels through the door of the lodging house, mentally counting all the kids that have made it back already. He hopes that the fact that Jack is one of the ones missing means that he’s helping others get back and not-

Specs shakes his head. No time to think about that. He looks around at his friends, at their bruises and gashes and tears. There’s work to do.

He busies himself fixing up his fellow newsies, bandaging scrapes and wiping away blood and giving hugs when necessary.

Time passes, and soon the common area is full of hurt kids. Race and Albert and a few others have started helping, and Specs is glad, because he’s not sure how much more he can take. Sure, he’s one of the oldest, but every time he sees another bruise or black eye on a kid he considers his family, his heart sinks just a little more. It’s by his feet now, bleeding as much as Davey’s face was when he first ushered Les through the front door. 

More time passes, and Specs notices that not has Jack still not returned, but that there is another significant absence. He pulls Race aside.

“Where’s Crutchie?” Specs asks him. Race’s eyes widen, and he looks around them. Crutchie is not on the floor with Elmer and JoJo, or across the room on the couch with Les, whose arm is now in a makeshift sling. Crutchie is not here.

Specs wants to believe he’s with Jack, but that could mean anything. That could mean that they’re still on the streets somewhere, lying low until the cops finally disperse. Or they could be-

“Could he be in the Refuge?” Race’s voice is soft, fragile, and Specs realizes that he doesn’t want to answer that question. If Crutchie is in the Refuge, then that means that there was no one looking out for him. There was no one to save him from that hellhole.

“I gotta check,” Specs says before he can think anymore about it. If Crutchie isn’t safe with them, then there are only a few other places he can be, and not many of them are good. Specs opens the front door before Race can protest, and then he’s jogging down the street.

It’s dark by the time Specs gets to the Refuge; the building looms before him, a shadowy, evil monster of a place. He sneaks to the wall and climbs up the fire escape to a window that he knows all too well from a worse time in his life. He knocks softly, and a few seconds later, a dirty-faced kid appears.

“What do you want?” He asks, obviously not one for introductions.

“Is there a kid here?” Specs asks. “Calls himself Crutchie?”

“Oh, yeah.” The kid disappears from the window, and a moment later, Crutchie takes his place. His face is bruised and bloody, his shirt torn, but he smiles when he sees Specs.

“You found me,” Crutchie whispers.

“Of course I did,” Specs replies. “You got us worried, Crutchie. We couldn’t find ya, and then Race said you might be here, and...well, I was hopin’ it wasn’t true.”

“Sorry to disappoint.” At least Crutchie’s sense of humor is still intact. “Say, Specs...have you seen Jack?”

“Wait.” Now Specs is confused. “You mean he’s not in there with you?”

“It’s just me,” Crutchie says. His smile fades. “At the square, I...I called for ‘im. But he didn’t come. I just wanna know if he’s safe.”

“Me too, Crutchie.” Specs shakes his head. “We’re gonna get you outta here, alright? Just...just give us a little time.”

“It’s okay, Specs.” Crutchie’s expression is one of determination. “I’ll be fine. You guys just win for me, alright?”

“Yeah.” Specs pats Crutchie’s hand, the only part of him he can reach through the bars, and turns to go, but then Crutchie grabs his wrist.

“Wait.” He reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a folded scrap of paper. “This is a note for Jack. If you find ‘im, could you, uh... could you give it to ‘im?”

“Of course.” Specs takes the note and slips it into his own pocket. He climbs down the fire escape, glances up and sees Crutchie still standing there at the window. His smile is back, and all Specs can think is that when he sees Jack again, he’s going to give him a piece of his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr: http://poorguysheadisdoingwhatnow.tumblr.com/


End file.
